About plans

By Liz on July 18, 2021

I have noted in previous posts that I am not much of a planner. I have short term plans … and thoughts about what I think I might do, but I have never been a real long term planner.

There is a saying: “If you fail to plan, plan to fail” … POPPYCOCK !! The saying assumes that there is some predictable nature to the universe. I do not think that there is.

See 2020-2021 COVID-19 Pandemic as the latest example.

Additionally, see the varied ramifications of the Pandemic: economically, financially, socially, emotionally, spiritually.

About plans.

The pandemic and for me, 2019’s work hiatus … what plans would help/survive either scenario.

But, here I am, coming out the other side of all, in what today, feels like a success. And it has not a thing to do with anything I thought or even sort of planned. I have just been fortunate.

There is a new “term” in the Mountain West: “Zoom Boom”. It refers to the boom in property values and visitors and buyers from cities, having discovered that they can work remotely (Zoom) and so are free to pursue lifestyles outside of the big city.

The Zoom Boom has fed into a frenzy of big city folks, with big city $$$, buying property in semi-rural/rural locations. The impact on me, personally, has been to give me some options in my pre-retirement/retirement that I did not expect and could NOT have planned for. Even at the beginning of the pandemic, I had no visionary idea that things would evolve as they have.

I have and am benefiting from a totally unforeseen circumstance.

So much for plans :) I am just in a lucky position.

The downside in my area is that there is a lack of affordable housing for “front line staff” at restaurants, hotels and other tourist venues as well as many, many “unskilled laborer” kind of jobs. There are help wanted signs everywhere. There are signing bonuses for these jobs.

It is a crazy juxtaposition of positive and negative ramifications of the Pandemic.

Who could plan for any of this?

Bottom line, I am grateful for my decision to work remotely, in this area … 27 years ago! I made the decision based on how I wanted to live my life and was just lucky to have the work that allowed me to continue. Any “planning” was solely on the basis of how I wanted to live, vs a financial plan.

And I bought a motorhome which I thought at the time was a tossup as to how it would work out financially, i.e. a rapidly depreciating “vehicle” … but surprise, it is now a desirable item also.

Holy Darn Cow.

I don’t know what tomorrow might bring.

Ultimately, none of us has the guarantee of seeing another sunrise … and it takes just one incident/accident/bad news from the Dr. to throw a spanner into the works.

So.

Enjoy today is my motto. Yesterday is done, tomorrow has not happened, we only have now.

Cheers!